Philippine Information Agency

DOLE highlights successful livelihood stories in Camiguin

CAMIGUIN, April 11 (PIA) — The Department of Labor and Employment in Region 10 (DOLE-X) underscored the successful livelihood stories of the province in a recent meeting with Governor Maria Luisa Romualdo.

Regional Director Atty. Joffrey M. Suyao of DOLE-X presented the video documents of successful stories of the livelihood projects from Camiguin as nominees of the 2018 DOLE Search for Best Livelihood-Assisted Projects for individual and group categories.

The eight and ten-minute video presentations encapsulated the humble beginnings of the beneficiaries and showcased how their businesses flourished and served as motivation to fellow aspirants especially the poor, vulnerable and marginalized workers in the informal and formal economies to start individual or group livelihood undertakings, and enable existing livelihood undertakings to grow into viable and sustainable businesses that provide income at least at par with those of the minimum wage earners in the province.
For the individual category, Suyao shared the story of Axel M. Salise’s Piso Net Project with pocket WiFi package.

Salise, a person with disability (PWD) from Barangay Baylao, Mambajao, received P20,000 worth of financial assistance from DOLE in 2014 to fund his arcade-style computer used as internet or gaming vending machine.

From one good opportunity, greater things happened to Salise as he was elected in 2012 as the president of Persons with Exceptional Reserved Skills Association (PWERSA).

Leading the organization, Salise was able to help his fellow PWDs by employing them in his computer business.

Furthermore, Axel improved his business by incorporating various marketing strategies as well as offering proofreading or editing documents for a fee.

Such strategy gave him an edge over the other computer service providers nearby even if the latter have more units to offer.

To date, Axel intends to expand his business by selling customized T-shirts, event giveaways/tokens, and souvenir items.

He believes that his Piso-Net livelihood will be dispersed to other individual PWDs for them to be successful entrepreneurs like him.

For the group category, Suyao highlighted the Kahugpungan sa mga Masilakong Mananagat (KASAMMA) organization of Barangay Lagapak, Poblacion, Sagay with their Tingco Tingco Boat and Net Fishing Project which started in January 2000.

The beneficiaries were then living below the poverty line with varying concerns on medical care, education, and food.

Suyao explained to Romualdo how the business diversified and flourished from merely catching/selling fish to acquiring the means in squid and fish drying, salted fish production, and production of bottled sardines.

The organization now employs 15 fishermen, 3 women brokers to market outlets to the other municipalities, 15 slicers, and 5 packers.

The group made use of mechanical drying for their produce in response to the unfavorable weather condition besetting the province being in a typhoon belt area.

This paved the way for another assistance in the amount of P300,000 in December 2016 as a reformation project on Rehabilitation of Boat Engine and Panamaw Fishing from DOLE.

The group has also obtained an additional livelihood income for their members through micro-financing, bigasan (rice selling), hog fattening, and egg laying.

Governor Romualdo expressed enthusiasm to advocate and support the entries of her constituents who proved that starting small in business has magnanimous impact in pursuing one’s dreams to be successful in life.

She assured that the documentation will be presented in every barangay or municipal events or meetings in the province to encourage the Camiguingnons to support the local livelihood projects in the area.(Mildred Dablio/RTP/PIA10)

About Camiguin News Bulletin

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